Toronto Six’s Watts lands PHF record salary
TORONTO — Darryl Watts thought she had retired from hockey after a stellar NCAA career.
At Boston College, Watts became the first freshman to win the Patty Kazmaier Award as the top player in women’s Division I hockey. She recently finished her career at Wisconsin, ranking second all-time in NCAA scoring with 297 points in 172 games.
Last fall, the 23-year-old from Toronto was accepted into the University of Wisconsin’s masters commercial real-estate program after a summer internship in the field. But a week before returning to her alma mater in Madison, Watts changed her mind about what she wanted to do with her life.
“I backed out seven days before. My dad was so upset,” Watts told The Canadian Press on Wednesday. “He supports everything I do, and he was so supportive after he kind of got over it.”
The game-changer was the Premier Hockey Federation’s announcement on Dec. 14 of a salary-cap doubling next season to $1.5 million per team. Watts made public on Wednesday that her salary will be a league-record $150,000 in 2023-24, just days after the Toronto Six signed her to a two-year contract.
“That was the turning point,” Watts said. “The conversation with my family was playing women’s professional hockey is a very viable financial option and it can support a really great lifestyle for a 23-year-old. Why wouldn’t I pursue this and see what the options are?
“I’m also disclosing this because I hope this will attract other players, which will then accumulate into the establishment of one single professional women’s hockey league.”
Toronto forward Mikyla Grant-Mentis was the PHF’s highest-paid player heading into this season after signing an $80,000 contract with the Buffalo Beauts.
The seven-team PHF, with clubs in Toronto and Montreal, has upped the financial ante in its bid to be the North American women’s pro hockey league of record. Other teams in the league are located in Boston, Buffalo, New York; East Rutherford, New Jersey; Simsbury, Connecticut and Minneapolis.
The average salary this season is $34,000 on a 22-player roster, but pay ranges anywhere from $13,500 to the $80,000. Watts’ contract converts to $200,000 in Canadian dollars next season, a milestone in terms of raising the financial bar.
It’s also the PHF’s latest message to the Professional Women’s Hockey Players’ Association, whose 80-player membership includes stars Marie-Philip Poulin, Sarah Nurse, Hilary Knight and Kendall Coyne Schofield.
The PWHPA, which holds showcase games and tournaments, intends to start its own league at some point. The PWHPA players have refused to join the PHF, stating that if a player needs a second job to support themselves — and several have side gigs — that’s not the pro league they envision.
With the help of her father Michael, a corporate lawyer who acted as her agent, Watts entered into discussions and negotiations with PHF clubs. She said she was attracted to Buffalo for its proximity and the Boston Pride and the Connecticut Whale because they’re coached by former NHL players Paul Mara and Colton Orr, respectively
Last week, Watts stepped on the ice for the first time in 10 months for practice with the Six. She played in Toronto’s games Saturday and Sunday against Connecticut and had an assist. Her hometown team, which ranks second in the league at 10-2-2 behind Boston, won the Watts sweepstakes.
“Born and raised in Toronto, I had a special place in my heart for the Toronto Six,” she said. “I played high school hockey in Toronto. My family and my friends are here. Great downtown life and I’m a huge Leafs fan. Right now, I’m living in my childhood house, so life is pretty good.”
WASHINGTON — Dave Roberts thinks Shohei Ohtani can be even better with more plate discipline with runners in scoring position.
The Los Angeles Dodgers manager approached the two-time AL MVP about a week ago to discuss how Ohtani could better control the strike zone.
“I thought he was expanding a little bit more than he needed to,” Roberts said Tuesday. “So, I just wanted to have a conversation with him.”
Ohtani hit his 176th home run Sunday, surpassing Hideki Matsui for the most in Major League Baseball among players born in Japan. Ohtani entered Tuesday night’s game in Washington leading the major leagues in batting average (.368), hits (35), doubles (11) and total bases (63).
“Any time he swings the bat he can change the game, and now being even more disciplined in the strike zone just makes him more scary,” Roberts said.
Ohtani left the Los Angeles Angels and joined the Dodgers in December for a record 10-year, $700 million contract. The two-way star had elbow surgery in September and won’t pitch this season.
Roberts has noticed Ohtani getting comfortable in his surroundings, acclimating with his new teammates and coaches.
“He is doing a great job with everyone,” Roberts said. “The hitting coaches are kind of building a really good relationship and trust. I see him more [now]. Before you sort of just see him when he gets in the batter’s box. So, he’s around a lot more, which is a good thing, too.”
With a goal of participating in his 17th major league season, veteran right-hander Johnny Cueto agreed to a minor league deal with the World Series champion Texas Rangers, according to multiple reports.
Cueto, 38, will be trying to pitch in the major leagues for his fourth organization in four seasons, and sixth overall, after he made 13 appearances (10 starts) for the Miami Marlins last season and 25 appearances (24 starts) for the Chicago White Sox in 2022. He finished the last of his six seasons with the San Francisco Giants in 2021.
In 368 career appearances (363 starts), Cueto is 144-111 with a 3.50 ERA for the Cincinnati Reds (2008-15), Kansas City Royals (2015), Giants, White Sox and Marlins. He was 1-4 with a 6.02 ERA for Miami in 2023, missing time with a biceps injury and a viral infection.
Cueto finished in the top six of National League Cy Young Award voting three times, including a runner-up finish in 2014 as a member of the Reds, when he earned one of his two All-Star Game nods.
With the Royals, Cueto made just 13 starts but helped the club to the 2015 World Series title.
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